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Viacom to appeal ruling on YouTube

Viacom Inc. on Wednesday said it has plans to appeal a federal court decision in its copyright infringement case against Google Inc.'s YouTube video website.

In June, U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton declared that YouTube had not violated copyright laws because the website promptly removed pirated videos when requested by rights holders such as Viacom.

Viacom indicated at the time of the ruling that it would appeal. Its notice to appeal, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the southern district of New York, was not the full appellate brief outlining Viacom's legal arguments, which is expected later this fall. The company did not provide additional details of its plans. A YouTube spokesman did not immediately reply to an e-mail requesting comment.

Legal experts say Viacom's chances of winning are slim, given the arguments Stanton laid out in his summary judgment.

"District court opinions have persuasive authority," said Jack Lerner, a professor at the University of Southern California Law School who specializes in copyright law. "There is a very good chance they will affirm what the judge did here."